Ready for Kinder: Calm Bodies, Calm Minds
Hello Friend,
Big feelings are a normal part of childhood. The good news is that children can learn simple skills that help them recover from frustration, disappointment, and overwhelm—and those skills are valuable long before kindergarten begins.
Kindergarten Quick Tip
Create a simple “pause phrase” your child can use when emotions start to feel big. A pause phrase is a short sentence that reminds your child to stop before reacting. Examples include:
- “I need a minute.”
- “I’m feeling upset.”
- “Let me think.”
- “I can handle this.”
Practice the phrase during calm moments so it becomes familiar. Over time, it can help your child slow down and begin managing emotions independently.
Try This at Home
Play a game called Red Light, Green Light for Feelings. As you play, occasionally call out an emotion instead of a color:
- “Frustrated!”
- “Excited!”
- “Disappointed!”
When your child hears the emotion, they freeze and make a face or pose that shows that feeling. Then ask, “What could you do if you felt that way?”
Keep it playful and brief. This helps children recognize emotions and think about coping strategies before they need them.
If you never played Red Light, Green Light as a kid, you can find instructions for the original version here.
Encouraging Reminder
Your child doesn’t need to stay calm all the time—learning how to recover from big feelings is the real goal.
Resource of the Week
Helping Your Child Calm Down on Their Own
Self-calming is an important kindergarten readiness skill. In this week’s blog post, you’ll learn practical ways to help your child build confidence, recognize emotions, and develop healthy calming habits that will serve them well in school and beyond.
Help your child learn healthy ways to manage big feelings with this free printable Calm Down Checklist. Featuring nine child-friendly calming strategies with simple visual icons, this one-page printable is perfect for calm corners, bedrooms, classrooms, and homeschool spaces. A simple tool to support emotional regulation, self-control, and kindergarten readiness for ages 3–6.
Recent Book Reviews
Big Thoughts for Tiny Tots – http://kid-lit.library-lady.blog/kid-review-big-thoughts-for-tiny-tots/
You’ve got this, one small step at a time!
— Ready for Kinder
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